Yoga for Training the martial arts?

[red5angel]

This subject has come up on another thread and I thought it deserved it's own.

Anyone here using Yoga to help their training? What kind and what sort of benefits are you getting?

[rubthebuddha]

posture and balance, mostly. i feel more rooted and stable.

[red5angel]

Rub, what kind have you are do you do?

I have been looking into Ashtanga (sp?) but don't know enough about it. Also, Pilates has come up a bit lately....

[neptunesfall]

yep, only i call it stance training.

[rubthebuddha]

a bit o' hatha, but mostly ashtanga. neither of them with any great depth or authority, but i know the exercises and intent. the breathing and relaxing is my biggest challenge, and that makes it all the more fun.

[red5angel]

Rub, you don't know any websites or anything with some video of ashtanga do you? I would like to see what it looks like in action...

[Souljah]

lol red how many topics have you started 2day?



theres a guy at my place that does it I think to help his concentration, but i'll ask him when training starts up again..


soul

[red5angel]

my job is slow on a normal day, the holidays makes it even slower. Plus I have been on vacation so the brain is fresh and spinning!!

[rubthebuddha]

red5,

not off the top of me noggin, but i'll dig. anyone else here is free to chime in. i'm hardly a yoga expert, so anything you guys add is welcome.

also, red5, look on the "other arts" forum to see if anyone there has suggested anything.

[GeneChing]

Every martial artist should practice karma yoga.

As for the asana, that's great too.

[yenhoi]

"karma"


I have practiced hatha yoga. Now its time better spent training stance, doing forms, practicing kung fu.

I posted a bunch of links on the other thread, lots of cool yoga stuff.

Economy man.

[yenhoi]

Search for posts and threads by a dude named "prana"

i think.

[GeneChing]

Relevant yet short.

Martial arts enthusiasts use Yoga to sharpen skills
Yagnesh Mehta, TNN | Jun 21, 2015, 11.23AM IST

SURAT: Teenagers and adults who have taken up martial arts as sports are now turning towards Yoga to sharpen their defence skills. Boys and girls are learning Yoga alongside martial arts to develop better control over their minds and aggression.

Many school students are nowadays showing keen interest in martial arts and are also participating in professional tournaments. But to improve their overall performance these students are also simultaneously learning Yoga.

The students believe that while martial arts helped them develop the fighting attitude, Yoga provided direction to their strength.

"My understanding of martial arts has changed after learning Yoga. I took martial arts as a sports activity. But now, Yoga has doubled my strength. My performance has improved tremendously since I started practising Yoga," said 13-year-old Bhavya Purohit, who recently represented India at an international Taekwondo competition.

"Bhavya's control over mind has improved due to Yoga. Her flexibility too has improved," says Bhavya's mother, Pooja.

Another martial arts enthusiast 12-year-old Jay Kimiyagar, said, "My concentration has improved. I now use my strength for constructive purpose. Yoga has also improved my mental strength." Jay recently won bronze medal at the national Taekwondo championship.

Not only young students but professional trainers who are already into martial arts since long are now learning and giving Yoga training. "I started giving Yoga training to my students as it helped containing strength. Sometimes young boys learning martial arts use the skills for destructive activities but Yoga helps them control their mind. Yoga also improves flexibility and muscle strength," said Pamir Shah, a martial arts and fitness trainer.

[GeneChing]

Why Yoga + Martial Arts = Perfect Match
Posted: 07/20/2015 10:09 am EDT Updated: 1 hour ago
By Yoga Journal


Kathryn Budig wants to introduce you to her new love: karate. Here, two kicks to get you started, paired with the perfect yoga poses (of course) for increasing the flexibility and strength required.

I've recently fallen madly in love -- with martial arts. This ancient practice has so many parallels to my already beloved yoga. They both evolved out of Asian roots and create an environment for respect, discipline, and knowledge of our amazing vessels.

I am currently drawn to practicing Kempo Karate under the guidance of my teachers in the same way I once was to my daily Mysore Ashtanga practice. The practice demands that you show up regularly. The only way to learn is through experience and repetition. The Mysore tradition gives the student a new pose only when the teacher believes the student to be ready. In Kempo, we earn new belts as our knowledge of strikes, kempos (combinations of strikes), sequences, and katas (training exercises) grow. In many ways, martial arts and yoga are a match made in disciplined heaven.

I've pulled together two common kicks that are done in martial arts and paired them with two yoga poses each -- one to help strengthen the kick and one to boost the flexibility needed to perform it. If this interests you, I highly recommend checking out your local Dojo or practicing with the amazing Liz Arch, who has blended martial arts and yoga in her style of teaching called Primal Arts.

Two Karate Kicks, Paired with Yoga Poses


1. Side Blade Kick

This is a common kick, forming a "blade" shape with the pinky edge of the foot, executed to the side of the body. It requires flexibility in the hip flexors as well as immense strength in the quads and glutes -- particularly your gluteus medius. The kicking leg internally rotates with the toes aiming down on a diagonal.


To strengthen your Side Blade Kick try:

Side Leg Lift

Start in a Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) with your feet hip-width apart. Hook your right big toe with your right thumb, middle finger, and index finger. Pop up onto your left fingertips, directly in front of your left toes with your arm straight and your shoulder stacked over your fingers. Draw your right femur bone up into the socket, so your right foot hovers above the floor. Begin to lift your leg directly out to the side, aiming to bring it parallel with the floor without letting your standing hip pop out. Hold for 5 breaths and switch sides. Repeat 2-3 times per side.


To increase flexibility for a Side Blade Kick, try:

Gomukasana Forward Bend (Cow Face Pose variation)

Sit on the floor with both of your knees bent pointing toward the ceiling. Slide your left heel under your right leg next to your right hip. Repeat with your right leg, bringing it over your left so the legs are mirroring each other in Gomukasana. Work toward bringing the knees as close to each other as is comfortable. Bring your heels in tighter toward your bottom to make this pose less intense on your hips. Wiggle your feet out, bringing your shinbones into one straight line, to make it more intense. Choose what feels best and then walk your arms forward into a fold. Hold for anywhere from 8 deep breaths to several minutes. Repeat on the second side.

Still finding your inner Yogi Ninja? Learn more about martial arts and yoga.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Budig is the yoga teacher behind AIM TRUE, a regular writer for Yoga Journal, and a presenter at Yoga Journal LIVE! Catch up with her @ kathrynbudig.com and on:

Twitter: @kathrynbudig
Instagram: @kathrynbudig
Facebook: @kathrynbudigyoga

Karate gear (sans Yoga mats) can be found here.

[David Jamieson]

My training partner and I will work yoga into the workout routine on occasion. I enjoy yoga practice as a stand alone or blended in with martial arts training.
It is good for the back in every way. Probably the best exercise routine for spine bar none. My back injuries sustained years ago are hardly an itch at this point. Thanks Yoga! No thanks to Lion Dance training. That will muck up your back if you do anything wrong in the tail when it comes to lifts.